GUE Fundamentals

[sailit2000]

I was originally certified by PADI. In the continuing education world I am thinking of enrolling in GUE Fundamentals. Would it be a better practice to enroll in a NAUI advanced open water course rather then the GUE course?
Thanks,

 

[jbd]

I was originally certified by PADI. In the continuing education world I am thinking of enrolling in GUE Fundamentals. Would it be a better practice to enroll in a NAUI advanced open water course rather then the GUE course?
Thanks,

I would recommend the Fundamentals course, although I'm not sure how it is being done these days now that it is a certification course. I don't know if you must re-take the course at additional cost if you fail it or not. I'm assuming that you must demonstrate some pretty good buoyancy control skills to actually get the certification. If you are not well on your way with those skills, I don't know if the course ois long enough to get you there.The sooner you learn the things they teach in that course the better off you will be.

The NAUI AOW course is not so much about diving as it about experiencing different diving activities. My personal preference is for an AOW student to have pretty good diving skills already so they can get fuller benefit from the various diving activities that you chose to do.

 

[Soggy]

Go up to SCUBA Shack in Rocky Hill, CT and talk to Ed Hayes. He'll teach you an AOW class that will teach you some real skills. He'll also help you get set up with a DIRF class with Bob Sherwood. Ed is a GUE Fundies Intern Instructor.

 

[OE2X]

DIR-F and AOW are two very different courses. Fundies works on what I consider the most used and most basic skills. Buddy/Team awareness, buoyancy control, trim, gas management, kick techniques, Sdrills, etc...

When I took fundies I got way more out of it than I ever thought I would. I use things that I learned on every dive. I got a lot out of AOW, but not things that stand out as much as fundies.

My advice is to take both classes. It is likely you will want to get your nitrox cert and for that AOW is necessary.

Good luck.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Go up to SCUBA Shack in Rocky Hill, CT and talk to Ed Hayes. He'll teach you an AOW class that will teach you some real skills. He'll also help you get set up with a DIRF class with Bob Sherwood. Ed is a GUE Fundies Intern Instructor.

Listen to your Uncle Soggster.

My advice is to take both classes. It is likely you will want to get your nitrox cert and for that AOW is necessary.

They are two different goals. Eventually you may want both.

 

[Snowbear]

I'm assuming that you must demonstrate some pretty good buoyancy control skills to actually get the certification. If you are not well on your way with those skills, I don't know if the course ois long enough to get you there.

If you don't have the buoyancy control skills, one thing the short workshop type class teaches you is how to work on them to improve them. Once you've taken the class, a DIR buddy to help you with feedback and pointers is very helpful!

 

[limeyx]

I was originally certified by PADI. In the continuing education world I am thinking of enrolling in GUE Fundamentals. Would it be a better practice to enroll in a NAUI advanced open water course rather then the GUE course?
Thanks,

I'm in the same position (but PADI), and here's my thinking (similar to other people's replies).

AOW course is just a stepping stone to something useful (Rescue diver, Nitrox?) for me, so that's really the reason I will be taking it (I'm also still pretty new diver, so more "face time" with an instructor is good).

I am also gearing up for DIR-F (and if i could only choose one or the other, I'd certainly go for the DIR class), but I think I need to practice more before I can make it (especially seeing my woeful attempts at back-kicks in the ocean today

Of course, I have best of both worlds in that I will take both courses, and my PADI instructor is GUE-trained, so I already have all the DIR gear, and (as far as my abilities go) have only done things the "DIR way" so far, so my AOW course will definitely help with prep for DIR-F

nick

 

[berty]

Unless you have buoyancy really dialed, take Ed's Buoyancy class before Fundamentals. The way Ed teaches the class is like a pre-DIRF with a focus on buoyancy and propulsion.

I took Bob Sherwood's DIRF after 4 OW dives and was overwhelmed by the class. My buoyancy control was not just bad, it was dangerous. BOb recommended Ed's class so I took it a few weeks later. During the class, I was amazed at how different I looked on tape( He videos the class just like DIRF).

Also, if I remember right, Ed and Bob Sherwood's local students do Nitrox and BC before DIRF. Of course, neither class is a absolute requirement for DIRF.

 

[StSomewhere]

Unless you have buoyancy really dialed, take Ed's Buoyancy class before Fundamentals. The way Ed teaches the class is like a pre-DIRF with a focus on buoyancy and propulsion.

I took Bob Sherwood's DIRF after 4 OW dives and was overwhelmed by the class. My buoyancy control was not just bad, it was dangerous. BOb recommended Ed's class so I took it a few weeks later. During the class, I was amazed at how different I looked on tape( He videos the class just like DIRF).

berty, I've recently taken PADI's bouyancy class which was a start in the right direction. At least now I know how bad a diver I am and can start to work on that.

Anyway, I'd definitely be interested in some sort of advanced bouyancy class -- maybe mixed with propulsion (frog kick), is that just a "some guy named Ed from NY" kind of thing or is it something available else through GUE? And is it necessary to be a DIR-type? I'm not really interested in DIR (I'll probably never do any tech diving, not while my kids are small anyway), I just want to improve my dive skills.

I live deep in flyover country, so my options for local GUE training is obviously nonexistent. We do vacation a lot as a family, but that's strictly to central Florida and/or the Keys (hurricanes be d*mned). Anyone have any ideas?

 

[Soggy]

Anyway, I'd definitely be interested in some sort of advanced bouyancy class -- maybe mixed with propulsion/frog kick, is that just a "some guy named Ed from NY" kind of thing or is it something available else through GUE? And is it necessary to be a DIR-type? I'm not really interested in DIR (I'll probably never do any tech diving, not while my kids are small anyway), I just want to improve my dive skills.

Ed Hayes is from Scuba Shack in Rocky Hill, CT.

You don't have to be a tech diver (or have any interest in it) to be DIR or take GUE classes. The DIR-F class has *nothing* to do with technical diving. It is basic skills that everyone should have to dive safely.